Welcome to the Alcohol Change UK January newsletter!
This is the first newsletter of 2020 and the new decade! The past month the team has been busy preparing for and delivering Dry January, our campaign to encourage people to stop drinking for one month and drink more healthily long-term. Read an update on the campaign this year, including its launch in France, below, plus find out how to submit your views and evidence to the Alcohol Health Alliance Commission on Alcohol Harm.
In this newsletter:
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Dry January 2020 - an update
Over four million people are taking part in this year’s Dry January! That’s an amazing one in ten drinkers in the UK. People from all over the world now sign up to the campaign – all the more so as a result of the campaign being launched officially in France, where it is run by Fédération Addiction and a further group of organisations.
Alcohol Change UK offers those who sign up daily motivational emails and access to a free app, Try Dry, which helps people to drink more healthily long-term. For us, Dry January isn’t really about January – it’s about changing behaviour year-round.
But does it work? There is a growing body of research around Dry January’s efficacy in creating long-term behaviour change. In this blog our Chief Executive, Dr Richard Piper, sums up the existing evidence, and welcomes further research into the campaign. |
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Highlights from the Dry January blog
- Don's story: Don took part in Dry January in 2019 and it's had really positive effects on his health, wallet and long-term drinking. "I look forward to doing Dry January again. It was a great experience."
- Liz's story: Liz decided to take on Dry January and it has had life-changing consequences for her. "I can honestly say alcohol ruled my life for 10 years, but it lost the war because I have taken my life back."
- Tips from Dry January alumni: We asked the members of our fabulous Dry January Facebook group for their advice to help people get the most out of their alcohol-free months.
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The Alcohol Health Alliance Commission on Alcohol Harm
The Alcohol Health Alliance, of which we are a member, is supporting a Commission on Alcohol Harm, chaired by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff. It has been established to examine the current evidence on alcohol harm and the changes needed to reduce it. The Commission will hold three oral evidence sessions in early 2020 and has launched a call for written evidence, with submissions welcomed before the deadline of 12 noon on 17 February 2020.
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Children of Alcoholics Week is nearly here!
The week-long campaign, organised in the UK by NACOA, aims to raise awareness of children affected by parental alcohol problems. Events will be taking place all over the UK in support of the campaign.
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Places available for Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100
We have spaces available for the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100, taking place on 16 August. If you would like to take part in support of Alcohol Change UK, please contact our fundraising team. We will be able to answer questions, arrange registration and provide you with lots of fundraising tips and materials - and support of course!
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Drink driving “still prevalent on Welsh roads”
The annual statistical bulletin looking at motoring offences in Wales has been published. It reports that 5% of all recorded accidents and casualties in Wales involved one or more drivers impaired by alcohol. In addition, 13% of motor vehicle drivers killed in Wales were found to have had a blood alcohol level over the legal limit.
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Parental drinking impacts the emotional wellbeing of their children – even at low levels
A new report from Alcohol Focus Scotland shows that parents’ drinking, even when it is at low levels, can affect the emotional wellbeing of their children. The report highlights that the large majority of these effects are unintentional. Around a third of the children interviewed said their parent’s drinking had made them feel “embarrassed, confused, angry, worried, scared or ignored.”
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Burden of liver disease “continuing to rise”
The final report of the Lancet Commission, Unacceptable failures, has been published. It highlights the continuing increase in burden of liver disease from excess alcohol consumption and obesity in the UK, with high levels of hospital admissions which are worsening in deprived areas.
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The decline in drinking among young people
This piece, recently featured in The Economist, discusses the trend of not-drinking among young people. The author writes: "Drinking is now in decline… [because of] a shift in social norms among young people, which is charting a new future for alcohol."
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Elizabeth's Dry January story
For Elizabeth, Dry January was the perfect opportunity to try out being a non-drinker. It led to the decision to try an alcohol-free summer!
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Ten low and no-alcohol drinks for Dry January
If you’re keen to try some alcohol-free alternatives but you’re struggling to find anything good, this blog should help.
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